The need for speed...

Saturday 03/03/07:
Had put a fair bit of thought into how/where I would do my 60min session today. Would have been good to run with the group again as missed it last week, but as I would be doing alot less than them I would have had to turn around and head back on my own after a max. of 30mins. Also, I only had the babysitter downstairs (mum!) until 8am today, so it just didn't seem viable.

Instead I headed out on my own at 6.45am, had some new stuff on the iPod and it was a beautiful morning. Being the last decent hit-out before the HM, I wanted a good quality session and hopefully a bit of a confidence booster. It was meant to be at steady pace, but that was never going to happen - I wanted to come away with something a bit more solid than last Sunday's 5km where I averaged 4.27min/kms. Still not happy with that session...

Did a large loop round familiar territory, it was rather warm but I kept pushing myself and all of my thoughts were on next Sundays race. Its hard when you don't know the course and don't really know what to expect as far as terrain and course profile go... so I'm still not really sure of my strategy. Today I just kept my foot on the gas for as long as I could, until the last km where I did ease back a little. Then over the last 200m or so I practised my sprint finish!! Yee ha!!

Brisk walk warmup: 5mins
Hard paced run: 60.04mins, 13.41km, Max 3.49min/km, Ave 4.28min/km.
Brisk walk cooldown: 5mins

So my average pace was about the same as last Sundays, but at least today was over 13kms, not 5km! And that included easing off over the last km, which I certainly would not do in a race! Oh and I forgot to mention I also got wolf-whistled by a truck driver when I was crossing the road in front of him while he was stopped at the traffic lights, but I choose to take it as a compliment - not just him being a smart-arse - and yelled "cheers!" back over my shoulder as I picked up my pace and headed up the hill!

Felt pretty good afterwards, sweating like a pig, but knew I'd worked hard. Of course that pace won't quite get me in under my PB or my goal of doing a sub 90min HM this year, but then I don't really expect that from this race... and race day is always different!

Enough about the HM now... Geez!

Courtney went off to an ice-skating birthday party and sleep-over this afternoon, so I went out shopping with a friend - looking for a new dress for a couple of formal functions I have coming up. Ones a charity cocktail party/dinner, the other an awards evening. We had great fun and I found a dress! That was followed by a nice dinner out, including a lovely glass of Pinot - my first in ages! Then it was back home for a couple of DVDs, as there was nothing on at the movies that appealed.

Tomorrow I have a 35min easy run with 5x30sec sprints to complete before I collect Courtney, but me thinks I might just be able to squeeze a bit of a sleep-in in there too! Yawn...